In regards to the Patolli game and it's "importation" from non-Maya sources,
as usual the problem is that there are in fact, many games boards that have
been recovered archaeologically from all over the Classic Maya world. For
example: Piedras Negras Lintel 6, Lagarto Creek in Belize, La Mar, El Cayo,
Planchon de Figuras, ect. The one at Piedras Negras is a round version. I
know of at least nine from Tikal, one of which is also round. There are many,
MANY examples of Patolli boards from the Maya world (quite possibly far more
than in any other Precolumbian culture, although I don't really know about
this). While most of these cannot be dated, it's certainly not wise to
attribute any of these gameboards to outside "importation," just as one
cannot make the claim with any real support that the presence of beards in
Maya art indicates that the individuals wearing them are "Mexican." It could
just as well be true that the Patolli game was imported from the Maya lands.
This cat and mouse game about earliest versions somehow indicating the
ultimate origin of Precolumbian traits is a very suspicious one to say the
least. Certainly, in the case of the Patolli boards, much more work must be
carried out to adequately to determine dating, ect.
John Montgomery
HasawChan@AOL.COM